Why The Canon 1DX Mark II Is The Best Camera Photographer Scott Kelby Has Ever Used

Ever since the new Canon 1DX Mark II was announced earlier this week, the buzz has been building in the photography community about exactly how good the camera would be. It is one thing to be impressed by a camera’s spec sheet, and another to actually use it in a real-world situation. Most of us aren’t able to see a camera like the Canon 1DX Mark II before it is released, much less use it in their work, but a handful of lucky photographers were able to test it out in a real-world scenario before it was released to the public. Luckily for us, one of those people was our very own Scott Kelby.

Scott had the opportunity to test an early pre-release version of the camera during a college bowl game and a regular season NFL game, and wrote a rather detailed review of the camera over on his blog. In short, it was the best camera he has ever used.

“In short, it’s the best camera I’ve ever used. It’s a lot like the 1Dx…only way better (if that gives you any idea). It even looks like the 1Dx (but with a noticeable “bump” on the top for the built-in GPS). Now, like I said, I shot a college bowl game with it and an NFL game with it, and I shoot with two cameras for football so I got to shoot it for about half a game each, but here’s what I found:

They super-tweaked the auto focus system and it is everything you’d hoped it would be. For me, that pretty much stole the show. It’s incredibly fast, and the most accurate focus system I’ve ever used. I actually loved the focus system in the previous 1Dx (it was mostly responsible for me making the leap to Canon in the first place, three seasons ago), so a redesign of the focus system honestly wasn’t something I was expecting would be in the 1D X Mark II. I thought it was awesome before, but I have to say, now that I’ve used it — I totally get it. It locks on in an instant — stays on — it’s really something you have to experience for yourself (this is all aided by an improved AI Servo [continuous focus tracking], and it’s definitely a leap in the art of super-fast auto focus.)”

Sign Up

Join Our Newsletter

About Layers

Launched in 2005, Layers Magazine is one of the web’s premiere destinations for photographers, filmmakers, designers, and other artists who are interested in how new creative tools and techniques are being used in the industry today. Layers Magazine is published by KelbyOne — the online educational community for Photoshop, Lightroom, and Photography. To learn more, visit KelbyOne.com.